The Chronicle (South Tyneside and Durham)
BLACKBURN v NEWCASTLE UTD
Szmodics before his shootout heroics.
What is it about this side? After taking the lead late on, Newcastle should have been able to see this game out against a Championship outfit. However, this team’s defensive frailties meant that was never going to happen. Sure enough, Blackburn drew level just a few minutes later.
Damningly, for Newcastle, it all came from a simple long throw-in and Jamaal Lascelles misjudged the flight of the ball. Arnor Sigurdsson pounced, racing away down the left, before cutting the ball back to fellow substitute Dilan Markanday, whose fierce shot was tipped onto the bar by Martin Dubravka, but danger man Sammie Szmodics was quickest to react to tap home and take the roof off Ewood Park.
Newcastle have now conceded 24 goals in their last 11 games in all competitions. The Magpies simply have to cut out these schoolboy errors.
Blackburn are 16th in the second tier, having failed to win any of their last four games, but the Championship side are showing signs of life under new manager John Eustace. In fact, Blackburn had only lost once at Ewood in 2024.
No wonder Eddie Howe named a strong side. Sven Botman may have been given the night off, as the Dutchman “works his way back to his best levels” following his knee injury, but Joe Willock was handed his first start since November while Elliot Anderson returned to the squad for the first time in four months.
It was not only a sign of respect for Blackburn but, also, a reflection of how seriously Newcastle were taking the competition. Howe, who is never one to exaggerate, was the first to admit it was the “biggest game of our season” and starting Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak et al sent a message before a ball was even kicked.
However, for all the attacking quality Newcastle had, the closest the Magpies came to opening the scoring in the opening hour was when Jamaal Lascelles had a header from Trippier’s corner cleared off the line.
Newcastle looked in need of inspiration from the bench and Howe threw on Lewis Miley, Miguel Almiron and Harvey Barnes for Joe Willock, Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak after the hour mark.
Almiron quickly made his mark. There were 71 minutes on the clock when Bruno Guimaraes played the ball over the top to Almiron out on the right and the Paraguay international cut inside. Almiron calmly pulled the ball back to Gordon, who had arrived late into the box, and the 22-year-old swept home to send those Geordies behind the goal wild.
It was a fine finish, particularly when Gordon had spurned a glorious one-on-one just a couple of minutes earlier. However, whereas Gordon would have once got frustrated, the forward quickly made amends.
NEWCASTLE NEARLY BLOW IT IN EXTRA TIME BUT BOLD ANDERSON SUB PAYS OFF
It should never have come to extra time for Newcastle, but the blackand-whites wasted chance after chance to win it and avoid a dreaded penalty shootout. Anthony Gordon had a shot on the turn from close range parried by Aynsley Pears only for Sean Longstaff to hit the rebound straight at the goalkeeper in the 102nd minute; Harvey Barnes had a header pushed away by Pears; and the unmarked Dan Burn headed over when the towering defender should have at least hit the target.
That was just in the first half of extra time. In the second, Bruno Guimaraes had a shot blocked by Scott Wharton in the 112th minute with the goal gaping before Barnes fluffed the rebound.
There were still five minutes of extra time left when Eddie Howe turned to his bench for the last time and, tellingly, with penalties in mind, took off Lewis Miley, who only came on in the 62nd minute and threw on the returning Elliot Anderson, who made his first appearance since October.
It was a bold move but it proved a smart substitution; Anderson ended up scoring a crucial spot-kick.
LEE RYDER rates the Magpies in their FA Cup win at Ewood Park
MIGUEL ALMIRON .............................. 8 (For Murphy, 62). Made a good contribution and set up the goal.
LEWIS MILEY ....................................... 8 (For Willock, 62). Made a difference and set the tone when he came on. Only taken off for tactical reasons.
HARVEY BARNES .............................. 6 (For Isak, 62). Not much impact and fortunate to get away with penalty miss.
TINO LIVRAMENTO ............................ 7 (For Trippier, 90). Looked lively.
ELLIOT ANDERSON ....................... N/A (For Miley, 115).
Not used: Ritchie, Krafth, Karius, Hall.
■■ Subs must play 15 minutes to receive a mark.
■■ Due to print deadlines, we were unable to publish ratings yesterday.